There is no polite number printed on a wedding invitation. No card ever says 'suggested gift: $150', and yet every guest arrives having quietly settled on a figure: what's appropriate, what's generous, and what's the right number for us at this particular wedding.
The short answer for most US weddings in 2026 is somewhere between $75 and $200 per guest, depending on a handful of factors. The longer answer is more useful, because it tells you where your instinct is right and where the 'rules' are just leftovers from a different era.
The cover-your-plate rule (and why it's flawed)
You've heard it: your gift should roughly cover what the couple spent on your dinner, $100 at a casual venue, $250 at a black-tie one. It's a reasonable starting point and a terrible rule to follow to the letter.
It puts the couple's venue choice in charge of your generosity, and it assumes you know the per-head cost, which you almost never do. Most of all, it misses the point: a wedding is not a restaurant, and you are not settling a bill. You are marking a moment.
What US guests actually give
Based on industry surveys, the rough 2026 distribution looks like this:
| Amount | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| $50–$75 | A coworker or distant friend. Thoughtful, not lavish. |
| $100–$150 | A good friend, cousin, or everyday relative. The comfortable middle. |
| $150–$200 | A close friend, a sibling, or a plus-one situation where you're both attending. |
| $200+ | Immediate family, best friends, or a wedding you're deeply part of. |
The factors that actually shift the number
Forget covering your plate. These are what move the figure:
- Your relationship. A lifelong friend gets a different envelope than a coworker from your last job.
- Travel and lodging. If the wedding cost you flights and a hotel, scale the gift down, the couple already knows you spent.
- Whether you're attending as a couple. Two guests is one gift, slightly larger, not two.
- Your own financial moment. Nobody expects you to go into debt for someone's reception. $50 given warmly beats $200 given with a wince.
- What the couple actually want. If there's a registry or a cash fund with suggested amounts, they've already told you what's useful.
Cash, registry, or a physical gift?
In 2026, cash or a contribution through the couple's registry is the most useful gift for most US weddings. Couples are marrying later and already have the household, so the traditional list of toasters and towels is answering a question nobody asked.
If there's a registry, including a honeymoon fund or a house-deposit contribution, use it: give what's suggested through the method they set up. Modern registries send the money straight to the couple's own bank or payment app, no fees, no awkward gift-card pricing.
Physical gifts still work when they're specific and personal, a piece of art, a case of wine they love, something that means something. A generic vase is rarely the answer.
When to give
The traditional window is generous: you have up to a year after the wedding to send a gift, and nobody is actually counting. If money is tight around the date, a thoughtful gift three months later is far better than overstretching on the day. Just tell the couple it's coming so they aren't left wondering.
If you're sending cash, do it before the wedding through the registry or by bank transfer rather than handing over an envelope on the day, it's one less thing for the couple to keep track of and carry home.